Chapter 118 - Bonding
(OPOV)
Optimus onlined in a panic, Kae was gone. So was Ratchet.
::. Kae!.:: he sent over the primary.
::. Hush love, I'm right here.:: Kae sent the transmission immediately.
::. Where are you?.:: Optimus demanded worriedly.
::. Communication central, and walking back with Ratchet as we speak.:: she murmured with a gentle tone of amusement. ::. I'm not leaving you behind, and I'm not leaving base.::
A moment later, the door slid open to allow both Ratchet and Kae into Optimus' quarters, Kae immediately shrugged out of her armour, levitating it delicately into a neat pile and carefully climbing onto the berth.
So gracefully, every step, every touch of her hands gentle and precise. Optimus brought his motor-reflexes online and reached for her, tucking her tightly into his chest as she wound herself around him, magnetizing to his frame and easily accepting binder cables into her interface array. Her spark joined the collective again, alongside Ratchet.
"Do you realize just how closely matched you two are?" Chromia demanded with a grin, pressed tightly against Ironhide.
"Incredible, isn't she?" Optimus murmured, pulling his Kae a bit more closely into his chest, she cuddled against him, smiling and turning her head to press a gentle kiss to his jaw.
"Flatterer," she murmured gently.
"And what do you intend to do about it?" Optimus rumbled in amusement. He moaned as moments later she began teasing his senses with a cool, gentle surge of energon.
"You actually have to ask?" Bumblebee asked with a laugh. "Kae always gets her revenge."
"As do I, old friend, as do I," Optimus rumbled wickedly, running gentle hands down Kae's sides as she hummed.
"So Kae, why the scrap are you covering your insignias?" Ironhide demanded.
"I told you, I don't want it interfering with Optimus' orders," Mikaela stated comfortably. "You lot seem to have convinced yourselves that I outrank you-"
"You do outrank us," Ratchet snorted, "All-Spark healer, predator and Prime together trumps any one of our designations."
"Not one of which I give a rusty strut about," Kae stated patiently, leaning against Optimus and offlining her optics with a smile. "You know me, Ratch, been a surrogate father to me when that's what I needed the most. As far as I'm concerned, paternal and sibling love trumps every last one of the designations you've decide to pin on me."
"Aw Kae," Arcee sighed, moving forward and wrapping the young Femme in a hug. "I'm so glad we get to keep you."
"Hey wait a second," Bumblebee stated suddenly, he looked at Optimus in consternation, "We have two Primes again, what the scrap do I call you now!?"
"You call me Kae, just the same as you did when I was your squishy sister," Mikaela snorted. "You were my little brother long before I wasbigger than you."
"And you call me Optimus," Optimus rumbled patiently, "the same as I have been trying to convince you to do for the past six vorn. You call me Prime and I act as Prime."
"You've never said so much in words," Ironhide rumbled with a snort.
"When has he ever had the opportunity?" Ratchet asked mildly.
Ironhide grunted his agreement, contentedly gathering his Chromia a bit closer.
"So how do the titles work, anyway?" Mikaela asked with a low laugh, "am I bringing your rankings down by claiming kinship to you Bee?"
"No! You're increasing my relative standing," Bee snorted.
"Societally?" Ironhide rumbled, "you're advancing the lot of us, now hurry up and bond Optimus so he can stop worrying about your outranking him."
"Deal," Kae murmured with a low laugh, her spark cuddling against Optimus' all the more. "So if I bond to you, does that mean I get to raise you to equal ranking?" she asked, burying her face into the crook of his neck.
Ironhide's spark promptly began laughing, reaching out and lightly cuffing Optimus upside the helm.
"Thrice blessed, bloody bastard bot," he snorted.
"I. Want to know just how closely you two can bond," Arcee grinned from the circle of Ratchet's arms, looking at the two Primes. Mikaela looked up at her Optimus with a question in her eyes.
"I don't see why not," he rumbled with a smile as their sparks solidified, taking on their bot forms. "You did not change your configuration all that much."
"Nevertheless," Mikaela stated in a mildly commanding tone, shifting in his arms somewhat.
Binder cables snaked from Optimus' limbs as the unit watched in shock, gathering Kae directly into himself as she shattered against him, their systems, armour, protoforms and sparks integrating into each other absolutely.
Kae's wings graced their back, Optimus' colours remaining predominant. The smug joy of their being 'we' was absolutely infectious.
"That's so cool!" Bee called out with a broad grin.
"For safety sake, we should just bind them now," Ratchet stated as the Prime sparks easily separated into two again.
"Now," Arcee agreed calmly.
Mikaela looked up at her Optimus with surprised optics.
"So that we may never be separate, but only if you wish," Optimus rumbled softly, reaching up to cup her cheek.
"With all my spark," she whispered, her face relaxing into the gentle smile that said everything was as it should be.
Sparks rose and retreated to their own bodies. Optics onlined and armour was called to protoforms.
(RPOV)
The soldiers stared as a solemn group of bots exited Optimus' quarters, walking slowly to the central. Jolt, the twins, every Auto-bot present stared at the group and quickly fell into the back of the lineup.
Ratchet took his spark-daughter's hand.
"The ring, my daughter," he stated quietly. She looked at him and pulled back her armour, delicately sliding the ring Optimus had given her off and handing it to him. Solemnly, Ratchet handed it to Prowl, who immediately ran to stand beside Optimus, presenting it to him with a respectful nod.
Lennox ran toward them. The look on his face screaming terror that the bots were leaving. Ratchet couldn't honestly blame him.
"What's happening?" he asked in a worried tone, Arcee onlined her holoform with an absolutely beatific smile.
"Gather everyone into the central," she stated gently, "all who wish to come bear witness to the binding of the Prime sparks is welcome."
Will gasped, stared around at the calmly striding titans with a shocked grin and ran to communications central. Announcements rang over the intercom. Soldiers ran. Director Matteer chose that moment to walk into the entrance bay. Lennox pulled him aside with a broad grin. Barry followed the Major with a gentle smile, standing beside him.
Ratchet watched with pride as his Spark-daughter strode demurely beside him, optics downcast and humble.
Jetfire strode to the doors of the Central and turned. Blocking them, standing fast.
"What business do the assembled intend?" he barked out.
Optimus stepped forward.
"I intend to bond the femme who guards my spark," he rumbled firmly.
"Does she of her own free will accompany this guard?" Jetfire barked.
"I do," Mikaela spoke out calmly.
"Then enter and be blessed of Primus," Jetfire rumbled with a small smile.
Ratchet grinned at the old mech following the old traditions.
In the precise middle of the central, Optimus turned, facing his unit and standing straight and proud. Ratchet guided his spark-daughter to her place. She stood before her guardian Prime, demure and humble with no trace of resentment, a loved and loving reliant.
All gathered,∂ Ironhide rasped in firm, ringing tones. Bumblebee onlined his holoform amidst the gathered humans, quietly translating. ∂We stand in solidarity, we stand with pride! We stand in witness to the binding of a guardian to his marked reliant. Are there any who would deny the bond between Optimus Prime, Auto-bot Leader by right of the Prime Dynasty, Warrior class Guardian, son of Eros Prime and Noria-I, Spark-child of Cybertron To Archangel Prime Mikaela Banes, All-spark Healer-∂
There were gasps of shock from the newly arrived bots, Prowl and Ratchet both crossed their arms, prepared to stand in defence.
Predator class guardian,∂ Ironhide continued, ∂Spark-daughter to Ratchet, Daughter of Calvin Robert Banes and Eun-Mi, Spark-Child of earth.∂
Ironhide fell silent and looked sternly at each bot and human in turn, practically daring them to speak against the binding. Ratchet fought back a smirk.
"Who stands with Optimus?" Ironhide demanded, switching to english.
"I shall," Prowl stated firmly.
"We shall," the wreckers called out in unison.
"Who stands with Mikaela?" Ironhide demanded again.
"I shall," Ratchet announced proudly.
"We shall," Arcee, Chromia and Flareup called out together.
Ironhide smiled and gestured to Prowl. He moved forward.
"Bonding cannot allow secrets," he stated calmly, looking at the two of them, "only two who know not only the other's virtues, but can see and accept each other's flaws may bond successfully. Optimus, Archangel, allow your prospective mate to see you as you are."
Simultaneously, the Primes shrugged out of their armour, the Femmes taking Kae's and the Wreckers gathering Optimus'. Completely bare, they knelt down in front of each other until their sparks were at a level.
"A bonding of sparks is a precious moment," Ratchet stated in a gentle tone, walking to stand beside Optimus and Kae, he reached up to gently cup their shoulders. "But realize that what is done cannot be undone until the moment you stand at the entrance to the Well of All-sparks. Love each other, support and respect each other, remain bonded individuals and grow together. Optimus, do you wish to control your reliant?"
"I have no desire to overlay my Kae's personality," Optimus rumbled seriously, gazing at his Kae with love in his optics.
"Archangel, do you wish to dominate your guardian?" Prowl asked calmly.
"I have no wish to endanger my Optimus, body or spark." Mikaela stated calmly.
"Does anyone object to this binding?" Ironhide asked again, "speak now, or forever hold your silence."
Prowl and Ratchet moved together, binding the two Primes physically together, murmuring the words of command and encouragement.
(WPOV)
Will watched the solemn auto-bot ceremony in awe, the words sounded much like a traditional human wedding but... stronger, absolute. He hoped to hell that Bumblebee was recording this, he really wanted the human world to hear those words, it left absolutely no doubt about them.
Every bot moved to encircle the Primes in silence. The humans moving to solidify the circle as Bumblebee ushered them forward. Ratchet and Prowl remained beside them.
"Bind your bodies," Prowl commanded gently, "accept each other, both your virtues and your flaws. Decide your dominant."
Beside him, Bumblebee's intakes whirred suddenly as the two bots offered their hands, both of them facing up.
"What is it?" Will whispered.
"They're both offering their submission to the other," Bumblebee whispered back, onlining his holoform again to continue the translation.
"So?" Will whispered.
"So by right of superior rank, Kae should be taking the dominant," Bee whispered, Kae smiled at her Optimus, delicately turning her left hand and guiding his to face downward. Bee began crying softly, Will looked at him in shock.
"She raised him," the bot whimpered, grinning with tears streaming down his face, the femmes had hands covering their mouths, and shocked joy was evident in every optic. "from this moment to the end of days, they will be absolute equals."
"No one has done that in vorns," Wheeljack murmured in a stunned tone on the other side, the bots fell absolutely silent again, "not since before the war..."
It was a shock when Kae and Optimus' spark chambers split open, the vast majority of the humans saw for the first time the two bot's bared souls, dancing, glowing bright in the dimmed lighting of the central.
The circle solidified, binder cables reaching from wrist to wrist above the humans, Jacobs reached out and laid a palm flat on Bumblebee's leg and caught Will's shoulder. The Major grinned and continued on the human chain as the bots glanced down at them, smiling their approval. Will looked over to see Epps grin, sliding his leg over slightly so that Wheelie could reach between his and Graham's calves.
In a matter of minutes, the circle was solid, not a single gap remained unblocked in some fashion.
The two bots in the centre of the circle never looked away from each other as their sparks reached out of their chambers toward each other, two souls twining and dancing around each other. It was...
"Beautiful..." Jacobs whispered beside him. Bumblebee glanced down with a smile.
"That's how you guys marry," Will whispered, "your souls literally bind together..."
"And nothing will ever separate them," Bumblebee murmured softly. "Among us, a binding does not need words, their very souls will be bound together, and no force in the universe can truly separate them."
The Prime's sparks separated again, but didn't, pieces of the minute colour variance stayed with each of them, Kae's crystal blue topaz flickered beside Optimus' electric blue.
And their optics never left the other's face. The spark chambers closed, leaving the myriad of etchings glowing over their protoform frames.
Optimus' arms drifted up to ensnare Kae in an enveloping embrace. Humans watched in shock as bolts of electricity drifted down every last person's body, completely failing to electrocute any of them, it felt warm, and cool, and left the bots in incredible shape. Scratches in paint disappeared, dents popped out. Will glanced at his hand and noted with surprise that even the annoying little paper cut he'd gotten earlier had sealed itself flawlessly.
Incredible.
As one, Kae and Optimus rose, broke apart for a second and called their armour to their frames. Kae spun around and pressed her back to Optimus as the bot snared her.
Humans and bots both watched with shock in their eyes as Optimus extended a myriad of binder cables, connecting into Kae. They shattered against each other.
"Holy crap!" Epps exclaimed across the circle as two became one.
Prime straightened as the bots around them cheered.
"They just..." Will stated in shock.
"Became one absolutely?" Bee onlined his holoform as binder cables retracted back into wrists. "That was more or less the point," he grinned at Will, bouncing about excitedly.
"Guys! You're like fifty feet tall!" Epps shouted up at Prime. Two more holoforms onlined. Kae and Optimus' human forms, wound tightly around each other, the enormous mech slowly, gracefully knelt down somewhat.
"That's more or less the point," Mikaela smirked, winking at Bumblebee's holoform. Optimus' holoform was grinning broadly, holding his Kae ensnared.
"So now we've got one enormous bot instead of two now?" Will asked curiously.
In answer, the holoforms offlined for a moment as the titan shattered, splitting back into the two Primes. Optimus' arm still gently wrapped around Kae's waist as her wings settled themselves to lay flat against her back.
"Now if you'll excuse them," Ratchet smirked, "that is a binding long overdue it's consummation." Ironhide looked at the medic and promptly began laughing.
"Perhaps we should send them somewhere safe for that," he snorted.
"What's safer than here?" Barry called up curiously.
"Oh, not safe for them, safe for the building," Chromia piped up cheerfully. "These are nice, solid walls, it'd be a shame for them to fall over when Optimus gets excited."
Will glanced up to see Optimus looking around himself in mild indignation.
"Perhaps we should send 'em up in the Xantium, shoot 'em intae space fare a few days," one of the Wreckers called out with a smirk.
"No, we're going to need them on the ground in the event of an emergency," Barry piped up, "But I know of a nice little patch of mountains that they could hide away in for a few days," he grinned. "Think of it as my wedding gift to my god-daughter."
"Out in Montana!?" Mikaela squeaked with a broad grin.
"Go have fun at Thirsty Lake," Barry grinned, "I'll go clear the airspace, nobody's there this month anyway."
Kae's holoform onlined and caught Barry in an enormous hug.
"Barry you're the absolute best!" she squealed in a bright tone.
"Go have fun baby Angel," he laughed gently, hugging the holoform. "I'll take care of your Liaison things personally while you're on your honeymoon."
"How do you intend on getting there?" Ironhide asked with a snort, "You're not exactly a graceful flier Optimus."
"Grab your flight deck anyway," Mikaela grinned, cutting her holoform and coiling herself around Optimus. "You take care of the driving, I'll take care of the flying?"
"At least until we are equals at the skill," Optimus rumbled, grinning down at his mate.
"Only you can spin a donut with all ten tires on the ground," Kae snorted, stretching up to peck a kiss to her Optimus' jaw. "Showoff."
"And only you remember that," Optimus grinned, leaning down and catching her lips.
"Wait! You guys are going to turn into one plane?" Epps called out with a broad grin.
"Once we reach the runways," Optimus rumbled, Kae strode to the flight deck and lightly integrated herself into it, transforming herself and the deck into the trailer as Optimus folded into his truck form.
"I gotta see that plane!" Epps stated with a grin, soldiers began running toward vehicles.
"Yo fleshlin', yer wi' me!" Roadbuster called out with a snort, reaching out and lightly snaring Epps, cupping his hand but never touching him. "Ah don' have a holo yet."
"Yeah well what're you gonna be?" Epps called back. The wrecker snorted and transformed. "Oh shit, don't even bother with the 'form," Epps stated, staring at the machine gun laden stock car. "I'm friggen riding with you here on out."
"Guid, if I kin talk tae ya I don' have tae bother with the rest o' the dilly dallyin'. There's work what needs doin'!" Roadbuster snorted, opening his door for Epps.
It was a cheerful convoy that followed the combined primes to the airport. The banter flowed freely. Will sighed somewhat.
"And why so great a sigh?" Mikaela asked in a gentle tone, onlining her holoform behind Will. He jumped and turned to look at her.
"I never got the chance to have you teach me how to ride," Will shrugged, "Epps is tired of being shot at, I don't blame him really."
"He's a tech sarge," Mikaela shrugged, "Roadbuster seems to like him, we'll have Barry set him up running interference at NASA, and have him out for Christmas," she smiled. "And in the event you haven't noticed, I do have a holoform, you can have the bike you guys got me, I'll sort out a road vehicle when Optimus and I get back and we'll go for a drive. You're not getting rid of me that easily." Mikaela grinned at him, and Will began laughing.
"Yeah yeah, alright, just remember you still need to train me up a bit for the CIA stuff, now that you're not allowed to get involved in the dirty work without a ton of paperwork," Will snorted. Kae patted his shoulder with a grin and offlined her holo.